National Bank of Hungary Governor Varga sets out plans to boost capital market liquidity and strengthen the Budapest Stock Exchange’s regional role

In remarks following the ceremonial opening bell at the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE), National Bank of Hungary Governor Mihály Varga said the central bank’s new management aims to support the supply of capital for Hungarian businesses through a more developed, liquid and transparent capital market. He also pointed to plans to strengthen the BSE’s regional role and support efforts to harmonise European Union capital markets. Varga linked the expansion of the BSE’s services to broader support for businesses and household savers, citing a fivefold increase in Hungarian households’ stock portfolios over the past decade to HUF 2,900 billion. Over the same period, market size more than tripled and 43 new equity issuers entered the market; he also noted that the BUX index doubled over the past two years and the mid-cap index rose by more than 150%. BSE CEO Tibor Tóth said the exchange’s new management is prioritising further increases in liquidity to strengthen investor confidence and support the development of domestic companies.